Remote valve-operating mechanism



April 1 1929. C. WILHJELM 1,709,104

REMOTE VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed uv 29. 1927 8391 11: attoz nu Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

PATENT OFFWE.

CHRISTIAN WILHJ'ELM, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANTA.

REMOTE VALVE-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Application filed November 29, 1927. Serial No. 236,478.

This invention relates to improvements in valve operating mechanisms. More particularly the invention relates to that type'of valve operating mechanisms which are 10- cated at in which it is desirable to provide means for indicating the position of a valve.

' The objects of the invention are to provide a simple practical apparatus for opcrating valves from a distance including means for indicating the position of the valve andmeans preventing jamming of the; valve. The invention has also as one of its% objects the provision of simple means for;

,-motor, the connection thence being to the re%1llating the speed of valve operation.-

e accompanyingdrawing illustrates the invention by a diagram with parts in sec-j tion and parts broken away.

In the drawing the reference numeral 1 denotes a valve which is to be operated from aremote point or control station indicated by an operating panel 2. The valve oper-- ating mechanism is mounted on another suitable panel'3 and at 4 is located the indicating means.

; The operating mechanism comprises a standard reversible electric motor 5 which a crank link 7 actuates an arm 8 pivoted on 0 a floating adjustable pivot 9. The extreme free end of link 7 is connected to a limit switch lever 10. The limit switch includes two pivoted contact members 11 and 12 adapted to make contacts with two fixed 35, terminal points 13 and 14. v

The arm 8 is pivoted at 15 to a valve operating cushion link 16-which at its oneend 17 is pivoted to 'an arm 18, which in turn' is pivoted at a fixed point 19. The other end 40 of the cushion link 16 is pivoted at 20 to the valve operating arm 21. The position indicating means are operated from the operating mechanism by an inductance bridge comprising aniron arma- 45 ture 22 connected to the arm 18 andthereby .movably supported within a divided inductance coil or solenoid 23. The latter is connected in parallel toa second similar coil 24 by means of wires 25, 26 and 27. In-the 5 second coil 24 there is an iron armature 28 connected by a thin wire 29 to a balanced indicating pointer 30 moving over ascale 31. The system of coils constitutes aninductance bridge, the operations of which are 5 known to the art. In the present instance if the armature 22 is moved upwards, the

oints remote from'the valves andpush button 33 for opening the valve. The

electrical connections are as follows. The inductance brldge 1s connected by wires 34 and35 to the main line wires 36 and 37.

Fron the line 36 a wire 39 leads to push button 33 which is connected to a variable resistanceldO. A wire 41 leads from 4.0 to limit switch contact member 12. The terminal point 14 is connected by wire 42 with the armature 43 and back to the line via wire 44:. The other sideoi the motor is connected by wire 45 to terminal point 13, thence through contact member 11 and wire 46 to another variable resistance 47 connected to push button 32. The aforesaid wire 39 connects the two push buttonsto the line.

The link 16 is termed a cushion link because it includes a mechanism for cushioning .movements in either direction to prevent jamming the valve while at the same time insuring that the valve is properly operated. The link 16 is in two parts 50 and 51. Part 50 carries a head 52 within a casing 53 and a sgring 5a is interposed between the head an the casing. Part 51. is threaded into a nut 55 which is screwed into the other end of the casing 53. Another spring 56 is inter posed between the nut 55 and the head 52.

If the link 16 is moved in. a downward direction on the drawing, the head 52 on part .continues after the valve has been fully operated,;the spring will simply be compressed still further.

If the link 16 is moved upwardly on the drawing, the head 52 .will compress the spring 54 against the casing and thereby move part- 51 upwards also. Should the movement continue after the valve has been fully operated, the spring 54; will simply be sition will be indicated to the operator at the control station 2 by the position of the pointer 30 on scale 31.

If now for any reasons conditions change so that the valve should be closed the operator will be notified. He then. presses push button 32 and thereby closes a circuit from line 36 through wire 39, push button 32, variable resistance 47, wire 46, contact member 11, terminal 13, wire to the motor, through armature 43 and back to the line 37 via wire 44.

The motor then starts to operate and moves the crank link 7 downward to actuate arm 8 to move link 16 upward, for instance, to close the valve. However, limit switch 10 has alsobeen operated and will after a given time be turned anticlockwise, strike contact member 11 and break the operating circuit at 13. The motor then stops and the valve has been closed which is again indicated by the pointer 30. The operator can therefore observe whether the valve has been properly operated.

If now conditions change, the operator is notified, or may observe, that the valve is to be opened. He then presses button 33 and establishes a circuit through the motor as follows. From line 36 to wire 39, button 33, variable resistance 40, wire 41, contact member 12, terminal point 14, wire 42 to the other side of the motor, the armature 43 and out to line 37 via wire 44. The motor then starts running in the opposite direction and through the instrumentalities above described the link 16 is moved downward to operate arm 21 and open the valve 1 after which the circuitis broken automatically at The cushion link 16 prevents jamming of the valve at the end of its movements in either direction. The variable resistances 40 and 47 serve as a means of retarding the operations by introducing these resistances in the circuit to a variable degree.

The apparatus as herein disclosed is simple, practical and direct in its operations. The control station and the indicating means may be located any distance from the valve itself.

1. The combination with a valve, a mechanism for opening or closing the same, an open electric circuit for actuating said mechanism, two remotely located push buttons in said circuit for closing the same to actuate the mechanism, an operating member in said mechanism for yieldingly operating the valve in either direction, means in said mechanism for automatically opening the circuit after the valve has been operated and means for regulating the operating speed of the valve.

2. The combination with a Valve, 9. mechanism for opening and closing the same, an open electric circuit for actuatin said mechanism, two remotely located pus buttons in said circuit for closing the same to actuate the-mechanism, an operating member in said mechanism for yieldingly operating the valve ineither direction, means in said mechanism for automatically opening the circuit after the valve has been operated, remote means for indicating the operation of the valve and an inductance bridge actuated from said mechanism for operating the said remote indicating means.

14. The new position is again indicated by the pointer 30.

CHRTSTTAN WIELHJELM. 

